Improper surgical performance tops patient claims against plastic surgeons

The Doctors Company, a physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, determined that during an 8-year period the top patient allegation against plastic surgeons was improper performance of surgery, according to a press release.

The study analyzed 1,438 claims against plastic surgeons that closed from January 2007 through June 2015. Forty-nine percent of patient claims cited improper surgical performance. The study noted, however, that a number of those claims arose from complications that had been previously discussed with the patient as a procedural risk.

The top factors leading to injury were technical performance (42%), patient factors (41%), such as noncompliance, and communication issues between the patient or family with the physician (10%), according to the release.

The study clarified — particularly for the top percentage of allegations and the top factors leading to injury by technical problems — that The Doctors Company’s physician experts determined substandard care was found in only 5% of all plastic surgery claims.

Additionally, in the study, the authors provided a set of risk-mitigating strategies, such as improving physician-patient communication, confirming that discharge instructions are understood, and documenting patient noncompliance.

“Through data collected from our 78,000 members, we are uniquely positioned to pinpoint risks that others can’t see,” David B. Troxel, MD, medical director of The Doctors Company and a study author, said in the release. “We hope that these data-driven insights and mitigation strategies prompt physicians to collaborate with colleagues and hospital leaders to identify system weaknesses, thereby reducing the risk of harm to patients.”

Reference: www.thedoctors.com